Self sacrifice

(1980 memoirs)
And yet Frankie had her romance.  A man named Spencer Carrier (I think) thought a lot of her and wanted to be married.  She told me about it once and said so pitifully, "But, you see, I had to care for Mother.  She was sick and had to have care.  And I couldn't leave her."  I could only nod.  No use to make suggestions:  --Couldn't you have all lived together?  --Couldn't something be worked out?  Water over the bridge and all long ago.